At its annual membership meeting on April 1, Wolverine Power Cooperative CEO Eric Baker reported that the co-op ended 2014 with a lot of excitement and optimism over successful projects and upcoming plans. “We set a course forward for the next decade and resolved some long-term issues,” he said. Wolverine’s 2014 actually started out with two major disappointments - cancellation of the Rogers City [...]
Directors elected to the Wolverine Power board at the Co-op’s 2015 annual meeting were Melinda Lautner (Cherryland Electric Cooperative), Dale Farrier (Great Lakes Energy), Wayne Swiler (HomeWorks Tri-County), Topper Barth (Midwest), Kurt Krajniak (Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op), Paul Byl (Spartan Renewable Energy), and Mike McDonald (Wolverine Power Marketing). Richard Walsworth was re-elected board chairman, Rick Deneweth as vice chairman, Jerry Akers as [...]
Through the Michigan Energy Office, the Clean Energy Coalition has announced that $20,000 in incentive funding is available to small businesses, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations considering electric vehicle charging infrastructure. To explain the application process, four workshops are being held statewide. Information is available here. Available funding can cover 50 percent, or up to $2,500, of the cost of electric vehicle supply equipment. In [...]
Those familiar words, “Should this proposal be adopted?” will come before Michiganians next on May 5. Proposal 15-1 would amend the State Constitution and dedicate new revenue to fix decaying roads and bridges. The long-term funding plan would also trigger bills into law that benefit K-12 schools, transit and rail projects, local governments, and restore the Earned Income Tax Credit. Funding for the nearly [...]
Gov. Rick Snyder’s latest energy plans call for more renewables in the power supply, more energy efficiency, and keeping the existing 10 percent cap on the number of customers who can choose their power supplier. To avoid price spikes and widespread outages, he says the state needs an aggressive plan that moves away from coal and towards using more renewables. “We should not have [...]
Nearly 300 high school students from across southwest Michigan got a dose of reality on Feb. 27 as Midwest Energy Cooperative and Southwestern Michigan College teamed up for "It’s Reality," an interactive personal financial management exercise for high school students. The half-day program offered a practical, hands-on experience designed to teach students about budgeting and learning to live within their financial means. Each student [...]
Michigan electric co-ops will gather in Grand Rapids, March 30-April 2, for director training, the MECA and Wolverine Power Cooperative annual meetings, and the Power Supply Symposium. Events kickoff on March 30 at Noon with NRECA’s newest Board Leadership Course (BLC) on “Board Succession Planning.” The MECA annual and board of directors meetings will be held March 31, where members will be asked to [...]
Hearings and talk about possible energy policy reform have begun in the Michigan Legislature, with a major energy policy address expected from Gov. Rick Snyder this month. In his January 2015 State of the State address, Snyder said he will put a strong focus on cleaner energy. “If we don’t have new policies in place and implemented, decisions will be made for us in [...]
Cloverland's SSR Payments have been reduced from $24 million to $4 million. The battle Cloverland Electric Cooperative is leading to make sure U.P. residents get a fair energy deal is making great strides- but concerns still remain on the bargaining table. Cloverland members don’t receive any electricity from the Presque Isle Power Plant (PIPP), but are being expected to pay millions to keep the [...]
The Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) is applying for a $100,000 Rural Energy for America Program grant that would reduce the cost of agricultural and farm energy audits. The grant is available through the Rural Development section of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the audits would be offered through Michigan State University’s Michigan Agricultural Energy Council (MAEC), which will also help with [...]
